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| Toadschool |
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Ok, so there's this toad, see?
He's a big fat brown toad, and I think he lives under my deck.
His name is Mr. Brown.
Most every night last summer, if I went out on the deck late in the evening, there would be Mr. Brown, looking in the slider or bopping over to sit by my feet...(I'm not making this up!!)
The DayCare kids loved the pictures and asked about him all the time.
Then came winter, and he was gone. The kids asked periodically where he was and did he come and visit, and I told them he was sleeping with his family in the dirt, under the snow.
Lo and behold, on Memorial Day, when it got really warm, I was out on the deck and - plop! - there he was, as bold as you please!
I'm amazed at the way such a small, fragile creature can survive all winter, and then I think...what a lesson here!
We so often agonize over the dirt we're plopped into and fight against what we can't change...what just "Is" .
I'm going to try to take a lesson from Mr. Brown and just hunker down in the mud, ride out the nasty weather and wait for the storms to pass. Maybe God provides all that mud not to frustrate us, but to sheild us from something worse.
By the way, the kids weren't the least bit surprised that Mr. Brown was back. It's what happens, because I told them so. Sometimes their trust scares me! |
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MT4God |
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June 04, 2008 at 9:14pm |
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If only we could learn these lessons that come so easily to the animals. But that's the difference between humans and animals, they live by instinct directed by God and God gave us free will to choose. All the more to praise God for His trust in us! YES, God trusts us! As we trust our children to follow us, He trusts us to pursue Him. Thanks, Beppe, for a lesson well taught. |
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MT4God |
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June 04, 2008 at 9:14pm |
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| Forgot the star! |
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Tis amazing the trust children have in us.
Yet we trust the Lord ... so why are we amazed that a child would trust us as we trust HIM?
I haven't a clue. |
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MT4God |
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June 05, 2008 at 9:57am |
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What amazes me is that we know children will trust the adults in their lives, but sometimes the adults lead them astray. Is it a wonder why so many adults do not trust HIM?
A child is an innocent blank canvas (blank for the purpose of this illustration, because I believe children are closer to God than me) and how us adults fill that canvas amazes me. Makes me think, "what do I want to see of myself on my child's canvas?" |
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Great blog beppe, and thanks for the referral MT! (yes....STAR!)
Children trust grown-ups, if they are smart/wise. Sometimes they insist on discovering things by themselves, and learning the hard way what we big people already knew. Yes, we are like that with God too....isn't that one of the purposes of his word? To teach us what God knows is for our best?
Unfortunately I don't think we can put very much trust in children. Trust them fully up to their capabilities, yes. But problem is children are not capable of much, so trust should be measured accordingly. Right? |
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beppe |
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June 05, 2008 at 6:24pm |
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As one who has lived a life of "learning things the hard way", I can vouch for trust issues with God later in life...
I heard a theory once that babies and very young children can still hear the voices of angels and even of God.
Have you ever seen a "wobbler" (very young toddler) suddenly smile for no apparent reason and start to dance? I wonder.....
I agree that when we become adults our trust should be placed in God and in those other adults we LEARN to trust...
But, in working with about a billion children over a lifetime, I have discovered that they CAN be trusted...to be completely honest about their feelings with no "experience" filters, to channel God's love without "theology" filters, and to love in return with not "I've been hurt, so I won't trust" filters.
Later, they can be trusted to challenge our way of thinking, our beliefs, our very core...this is a good thing, even though it feels very bad. They are certainly capable of making us think about what we truly believe!
I worry the most about a child or adolescent who never questions or challenges...children learn to trust by "pushing against the fence" of our expectations, just to see that it's still there!
PS We can also trust them to love us without reservation, look us straight in the eyes, and tell us that our breath stinks and our teeth are yellow! -=) |
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MT4God |
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June 05, 2008 at 10:55pm |
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I can vouch for all the things that Sie has taught me. She looks so innocently at everyone...to her, no one is bad. As a toddler she called people by their skin colors...not white or black, but light brown boy, or yellowish girl, or pale person...and even light tan mommy. When I asked who was white or black, she said that she has never seen a white person or a black person. Hmmm...made me think that ALL of us are people of color! I wouldn't have been baptised if it wasn't for her. She saw someone being baptised and asked why we haven't done that. I asked if she knew what it meant. She said, "It means that we are giving our lives to God and we're letting everyone know it so they can help us love God more." And yes, Beppe, as you can guess, she pushes against the fence daily...always questioning and challenging. But I'm sure you're going to help with these teen years...right? |
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beppe |
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June 05, 2008 at 11:08pm |
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I'm only the messenger, dearie....
Psalm 121: I lift my eyes to the hills; from whence does my help come?
My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
Lyrics: my friend Dave and I sang this at Kelly's confirmation.... partial words, I'll sing it for you some time:
"I lift my eyes unto the hills; for in their lofty heights Your majesty fulfills...
And when I'm weary, You're always near me...I will look up! |
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MT4God |
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June 05, 2008 at 11:11pm |
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| That's it! Pslam 121. I was just talking to someone this evening and was trying to remember where this verse was. I was off by a few chapters. I sure hope he found it. Pslam 121 is engraved at the Cherokee reservation in North Carolina. It's a verse very dear to the Cherokee nation. There's also a contemporary song on this verse that I just love. Can't wait to hear you sing it. |
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trusted...to be completely honest about their feelings with no "experience" filters, to channel God's love without "theology" filters, and to love in return with not "I've been hurt, so I won't trust" filters.
I'll go with that! My trust issues w/my kids isn't an honesty thing so much as a capability thing. Like trusting my Em to wash the dishes, then finding hardened food on the silverware the next day. So we're talking two different things. I love kids, and especially MY kids....b/c I've shaped them. But they still surprise me with their child-logic. It's adorable! I can tell you love children too beppe, wonderful!!!! God's blessings to you! ~mike |
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| Yeah, still sing that song to myself-more often in the last year than you'll know, Mom. That kind of trust in my kids makes it not quite as scary to bring them into this world. Sometimes it's a really messed up place we're living in, but never so bad that we're alone or incapable of making a difference in the lives of others...more lyrics...."When I'm asleep, watch o'er my bed. When I'm awake, dear Lord, be thou my guide, my head. In times of trial, there all the while. I will look up!" OK-gotta go, just heard the toilet flush followed by LOTS of little girl giggles...hmmmmmm :) |
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MT4God |
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June 06, 2008 at 9:45am |
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So Kelly...can't trust the girls in the bathroom...huh? Hope they didn't flush something down it. <Like trusting my Em to wash the dishes, then finding hardened food on the silverware the next day.> Okay, Mike...this sounds like my husband. But praise him for trying to help with the house while I work 2 jobs. |
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| Not so much lack of trust, just experience. They'd never do anything harmful, but sometimes a situation set-up like that ends up being a pretty funny story... |
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Joygum |
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June 06, 2008 at 7:20pm |
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thanks Beppe - this was a good read..... and to all the comments too!!!
I love the mud thought - maybe it is there to protect...... sometimes we really try to either wash it off - or even avoid it - - and it might be there for God's reason!!
Keep up the great blogging! |
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Cheryl |
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June 06, 2008 at 7:24pm |
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| hey lady, miss you! |
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MT4God |
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June 07, 2008 at 3:07pm |
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| I think we should all bring a bucket of mud to church and make everyone else wonder what we are doing. We could have a Mud Sermon!!!! Where's Rev Bills? |
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